In a known method of the type described above, where the work pieces are gear wheels and the tool is a grinding worm to cut the teeth of the gear wheels (DE 198 57 592 A1), the clamping device is an inseparable component of the work piece spindle. Consequently, the work piece spindle, its power steering, and a carriage that guides it along a machining axis must be moved back and forth between the first and the second position. This requires a relatively high structural effort with the device used for performing the method. The structural effort is further increased because a second work piece spindle with power steering and guide carriage is required, since the loading of work pieces in the first position and the machining of work pieces from the second position is performed in a time overlap to shorten the machining times.
The object of the invention is to create a method and a device of the type described above which require less structural efforts.
The object of the invention is attained with a method where the clamping device is separated from the work piece spindle when it is transferred from the second position into the first position, and is connected with the work piece spindle when it is transferred from the first into the second position.